A node, or computer, can be connected to other nodes, or computers, using a computer network. A node may need to make decisions based on data stored locally, or at the node, and stored remotely, or on one or more of the other nodes.
Some applications require timing information about data. Other applications require that some or all of the nodes of the computer network have the same data at (virtually) all times. As such, the computer network may be synchronized to ensure timing and/or other information is kept in lockstep.